Cybersecurity Training Tips for Businesses with 100 Employees or Fewer

Most of us have developed terrible security habits like reusing passwords for multiple online accounts or failing to even protect our smartphones with a PIN code, and that’s barely the tip of the iceberg. Perhaps it shouldn’t come as a surprise that major data breaches hit the headlines every week, not to mention the countless unreported attacks that target small businesses.

If your organization is still relying entirely on antivirus software to protect its data, you’ll be leaving yourself open to an attack. That’s because there’s no substitute for staff training. In fact, cybersecurity training is also a legal requirement for many organizations, such as healthcare providers and their associates. With that in mind, here are some tips to help ensure your efforts don’t fall on deaf ears:

Don’t Just Make It about Your Business

Cybersecurity awareness training can sometimes feel like drudgery, especially when you’re focused only on your business and the threats that face it. However, security is everyone’s business, regardless of the company they work for, and it’s not just about protecting your corporate assets.

That’s why you should use the opportunity to hit close to home and help your employees understand that you’re doing them a favor as well by educating them on the threats that face everyone who uses the internet.

One of the core goals of any training program is to turn your staff into your first and last line of defense against security threats. That’s why your efforts should focus on the common mistakes that lead to security disasters.

#3. Regularly Reevaluate Your Program

Before WannaCry struck 200,000 computers around the world in 2017, not many of us had ever heard of ransomware before. This is just one example of how fast things can change in the cyberthreat landscape.

Constantly evolving in line with technology itself, online threats come in a variety of forms. That’s why any training program is only as effective as it is current. Reevaluating the program every few months and providing ongoing training is a far more effective approach.

Create a Culture of Accountability

You can have all security and term-of-use policies in the world, but they don’t mean anything if your employees don’t fully understand them. A major part of cybersecurity training is making sure that your staff understand not just your security policies, but also the reasoning behind them. Furthermore, you need to build a culture of accountability that enforces the rules and ensures that everyone knows what to do should a security issue occur.

Train Everyone in Your Business

Security awareness training shouldn’t be just for the non-techies in your company. In fact, it’s something that everyone, including C-level personnel, must also be involved in. Moreover, every department should be included so that everyone with any kind of access to your corporate computing resources receives the necessary training.

Don’t ever make the mistake of thinking that there’s anyone in your organization who isn’t a potential target. Make it a team effort that includes everyone.

Focus on Social Engineering

Contrary to what many might think, computer viruses and other forms of malware are far from the biggest online threats. Most threats don’t even involve malicious software at all. These are the social engineering scams, in which victims are duped into performing a desired action, such as sending their confidential information to a hacker.

Many of these so-called phishing scams arrive by email, but social media and compromised websites are also home to countless scammers. To ensure employees are better able to identify these scams, you’ll want to speak extensively about social engineering in your training program.

Since 2001, Dyrand Systems has been making technology safer, easier, and more effective for businesses across Canada and the United States. If you’re ready to start saving money, boosting security, and enhancing productivity, get started today with your free assessment.